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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. march — the month
  3. content — the amount
  4. court — of a king
  5. content — happy
  6. pop — music
  7. march — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com